Five officers in riot gear bring wanted man to court
Simeon Cosmo Langford, aged 33, with an address in Bristol, is wanted in England to face charges on attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and theft. Mr Langford is also wanted for allegedly breaching the conditions of his release from a sentence for grievous bodily harm.
According to a European arrest warrant issued in August 2015, he was released on licence (parole) in the UK on May 6, 2015, and is alleged to have committed the offences for which he is sought on dates between June 2 and June 11, 2015.
The warrant alleges he absconded and UK police believe he travelled to Ireland on June 13, 2015, using a passport in the name of Luke Gillespie. He was arrested by gardaí in Cork in August 2015 and brought before the High Court.
Opposing an application for his surrender to the UK yesterday on grounds that he would be subject to inhumane and degrading treatment on his return, his counsel, Ronan Munro, said his client was in a “special category”.
Mr Langford was brought into court accompanied by five officers in full riot gear. He was handcuffed to one officer while one stood next to him holding a riot shield.
Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly said it was exceptional for someone to be in handcuffs in court and she asked the State to make a formal application for the procedure which was made and acceded to.
Mr Munro said he accepted suboptimal prison conditions did not preclude surrender but Mr Langford “was in a special category”.
He said his client had a fraught relationship with prison authorities and “you can see that in action here today”, he said referring to the riot gear. It was a “flavour of the type of approach that was taken in the UK”.
Counsel for the justice minister, Vincent Heneghan, said Mr Langford was making assertions about ills he suffered in UK prisons but they were subjective in nature and “mere allegations”.
There were no adverse reports on the British prison system from Amnesty International or other such bodies and no reports to say British prisons were in breach of Article 3, Mr Heneghan said.
The case will be heard again on Tuesday next.
